The Breakdown

I made a new bud through my blog last week, I love it when that happens! My motocross lovin reader Stephanie contacted me because she needs a dress to wear to a wedding that will hopefully make her husband’s jaw drop! She rides dirtbikes, yes motorcycles in the dirt lol, and is often seen in motorcycle gear rather than pretty dresses. She’s also a mom to a 3 year old and has little time or money to spend on herself.

My Twitter bud @edyttalove tweeted me, “hi i was wondering if u knew where to get nice business attire, i have an interview coming up and cant seem to find anything.” Thanks for the request Edytta… I’m so happy to help! My challenge for this post was to find items that were all under $50 and offer a few different outfit options.

If you are applying for a job in a creative line of work, such as interior decorating or fashion magazine editor, feel free to play up the color. I love the pink ruffle blouse from ModCloth.com. It is so amazing. For most types of interviews, I would stick with basic black and white and then mix in your own personal style once your hired and get a better sense of the dress code. Don’t forget your Padfolio, complete with a pen for taking notes and a few copies of your resume.

PS – Now that I’ve discovered Polyvore, I used their search engine to find the majority of these items. I did very specific searches and was surprised that ModCloth apparel, not only came up for almost every search, but far exceeded the other options in terms of style! I never thought of ModCloth for business attire, but they totally came through with affordable fashions for the office!

We received such a nice email from our reader Cecily. She wrote, “HI! Love this Blog! I also love Rachel Zoe. I wondering if you know where to find this Fabulous boot she picked out on piperlime.com? As much as I LOVE it I really can’t see paying $650 for them.”

I’ve been wanting to do a post on the over-the-knee boot trend and this was the perfect opportunity. The L.A.M.B. Junee is so amazing, but like Cecily, I’m not in love with the price. The thing I like best about Gwen Stefani’s L.A.M.B. line is that I can actually see her wearing every shoe that she puts her name on and she never disappoints. Of course this boot is a one of a kind original, but we found some similar, “Inspired By” boots that are so fab and under $100!

We just received such a nice email from our reader Kimberly! She wrote, “I’m not sure if this is up your alley, but after seeing your great week-long Zoe Effect feature, I thought I might as well ask. I’m attending an evening wedding, and have bought this gorgeous dress (above). I’m wondering if you (or the readers) have any idea how to style it. The wedding is in November, but is in Texas, so it won’t be too cold. Any ideas? Thanks so much, LOVE the site!!”

This green flutter sleeve Robert Rodriguez dress is simply stunning. The chic thing to do these days is to dress in a mix of high and low price points. The dress has a price tag of $250, which was a steal from its retail value of $418, and we have paired it with some affordable, yet evening wedding appropriate, shoes and accessories.

To keep the dress as the focal point, I suggest pairing it with only two additional colors, black and gold. The black patent shoes match the belt and have just enough interest so that they do not compete with the dress. The platform on these woven peep-toe pumps is AMAZING and the square toe is just so cool and unexpected!!!

I went with simple accessories that are sort of a medium between shiny and mesh gold. I would avoid a necklace because there is no need to distract from the simple and beautiful neckline on this dress. I found the clutch at Endless.com and I am addicted to it for a couple of reasons. First, it is a wristlet so you do not have to hold it the entire night, and two, I love the chain strap that is reminiscent of the popular Chanel handbags. After the wedding, pair it with a tee, jeans, and a blazer for a night out with the girls. Hope you have an amazing time at the wedding, Kimberly and we know you are going to look beautiful in that dress!

My Twitter bud @LindsTR tweeted, “@TheLooksForLess Any recommendations on cobalt blue suede pumps?”. I have been looking at so much black and gray for fall that I couldn’t wait to add a little color to my posts. This request deserved a bit more than a tweet response.

After an exhaustive search, all of my finds came from one designer, Steve Madden. He has several suede pumps to choose from and almost all selections come in a variety of colors. Lovin his selection of blue suede pumps. I really wanted to include a selection of pumps all under $100, but I couldn’t resist adding option number 5, at a price tag of $109, as it is easily my favorite and only slightly over $100. I saw these pumps a few months ago featured in Nylon magazine.

This homecoming edition of looks for less goes out to my Twitter bud, Jordan (@cjbaarcke). She emailed us to say, “I’m going to my college homecoming next weekend and wondered if you had any suggestions for a cute, comfy, stylish outfit (or just a dress) for me to wear? I love your suggestions, but are having a hard time having something for mid-October southern weather.”

Skin is in this season, and it’s hard to find a black dress that isn’t strapless and super stylish. I found a variety of dresses for all body styles and it’s all about “texture placement”. Dresses 4 and 8 give the illusion of a bust line, for those that may be lacking one naturally, and 3 is great for concealing a midsection, due to the flare from bust to hem. I love a bare neck with a strapless dress and tend to go bold with earrings and a bracelet; however, this is the perfect opportunity to embellish your collarbone with an amazing statement necklace.

This post goes out to my fellow nole girls, @ashleycorrao & @ashleyeadkins. I did a Florida Gators look for less post recently for my twitter bud @FloridaBrides (cuz I love my readers); however, as a graduate of FSU and a die-hard fan, I had to even the score with a Florida State look for less. The sequin top is a bit pricey, but it is so beautiful and can be worn on so many other occasions, casual or dressy! Go Noles!!!

Our Twitter friend @pinkfroggg saw the post we did on Red Cowgirl boots and requested an edition on black boots. She tweeted, “ideas where 2 look 4 cute nxpensive cowgirl boots? I’m very uncountry, but need them 4 a @taylorswift13 concert next month. def. tall, short boots don’t work on me.” She’s looking for boots to go with a black and cream dress and we have a few options for her to choose from at a variety of price points. Her timing is great because according to the latest edition of InStyle magazine, tough girl looks are so in style right now and they specifically mentioned black western boots. @pinkfroggg, we hope you have fun at the Taylor Swift concert. I hear she puts on an AMAZING show… very highly reviewed.

My twitter bud @OkinawaMagan is super excited about celebrating her husband’s October homecoming from Afghanistan and needs a little red, white, and blue spirit for his arrival. She’s already booked their trips to Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand.

Magan tweeted us to say, “@TheLooksForLess Can you help me find a wedge in navy blue to rock with my red, white and blue @Lulusdotcom dress for the hub’s homecoming?” She picked up the Little Sparkler Dress in red after she saw it in an edition of Steal the Real. Hope you have fun vacationing with your hubby when he returns.